Leads can be used to carry electrical energy between tissue and circuitry of a device, such as in sensing and/or stimulation applications. In the case of sensing, the electrical energy may be indicative of physiological activity while in a case of therapy delivery the electrical energy may comprise stimulation pulses. Leads may be partially or wholly implanted within a patient. For example, an implanted lead can carry electrical signals generated in a patient (e.g., by brain, heart, or muscles tissue) to signal processing circuitry in an implanted housing for data collection and/or determination of a patient state. Additionally or alternatively, electrical stimulation can be delivered from stimulation circuitry within the housing to a targeted area of the patient (e.g., brain, heart, spine, one or more nerves, pelvic floor, muscles) through the lead. Typically, the lead and the housing are separate components that are connected to one another during an implantation procedure.